The New Beginning
by TheSuperGirl
Summary: Nearly half a century after the fall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, peace finally exists in the Wizarding World. That is, until a new threat rises, wiping out one-fourth of the population, and targeting the rest. A marriage law has been passed, tossing the unlikeliest pairing together. This new beginning brings new surprises, and new love; but can the teens accept their fate?


**Chapter One: **_When Fate Becomes A Trickster_

Nothing aggravated Beverley Tucson more than being dragged to the Great Hall on a less-than-pleasant Monday morning.

School had been in session for nearly a week now, every day passing like the one before; _boring._ She'd wake up each morning, lazily mat down her messy brunette hair, and then head towards the kitchen to get an early breakfast. Once receiving said breakfast from the ever-so-kind House Elves (whom she pitied, as they worked for the most annoying kids in the history of Hogwarts), Beverley would tediously climb up the stairs to the library, where she'd revel in the silence that did not exist in the Great Hall and chow down on cereal and croissants.

She was perfectly content with her routine; after all, if she could escape the wrath of her fellow classmates, the trouble of waking early and climbing up the playful staircases was certainly worth it. Her best friend, however, shared a different point of view.

"You know, Bev, if you keep moping about, you'll never get to go to the library again." Beverley was well aware of the teasing tone in Nevaeh's voice as she grinned, turning to face her best friend. Both brunettes were seated at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall (much to Beverley's disapproval, of course) surrounded by the sounds of a regular Monday morning. Kids grumpily gobbled down their food, all lazy from having two days at Hogsmeade, where schoolwork was equivalent to being sent to jail. The bewitched ceiling reflected the moods of the students below; Beverley had to stop herself from flinching as yet another lightning bolt flashed across the ceiling.

Beverley grunted in response, pushing her bowl away from herself. The entire commotion of the room was causing her to have one hell of a headache; if she'd stayed in the library, perhaps Beverley wouldn't be on the verge of screaming out her lungs. "It's _so_ _loud_ in here," she complained, cupping her hands over her ears in a futile attempt to tune out the sound of her pestering classmates. "Can't they just shut up for _one freaking minute?" _

Nevaeh laughed, ignoring the serious tone in Bev's voice as she slumped her head on the mahogany table. The other students continued chattering, oblivious to the nonexistent curses she fired to them. Neva held a croissant in her hand, swallowing a large bite of the treat as she tried to comfort her best friend. "Stop being such a pessimist Bev." She chuckled, cutting a piece of her croissant, and chucking it at an unamused Beverley's face. "Eat a croissant and put a tampon in it."

She was going to _murder_ her best friend.

All of a sudden, the voices disappeared, silence invading the grand room, like magic. Not a word was a spoken, as all eyes drifted upwards to meet the stern smile of Professor Rowen, the esteemed and cherished Headmistress of Hogwarts. Her tall statuette stood stick-straight, in a strictly vertical position. She wore an indifferent expression, though her smile said otherwise. Professor Rowen's pale skin vibrated against the golden walls, looking very odd and out of place. Her beady brown eyes glistened as she stood at the balcony, sweeping her gaze over every student. She resembled a hawk; it was rumored Professor Rowen knew of every secret that resided in Hogwarts.

"Good morning students," said Professor Rowen, her voice hard and lacking of any emotion. Beverley involuntarily stiffened, chills running down her spine as her gut uncomfortably clenched. An automatic frown appeared on her face; Professor Rowen frightened her to no extent. "I assume you are off to a welcome start this year."

Mumbles rippled through the crowd, some students exchanging knowing glances. Nevaeh winked at Beverley, rolling her eyes as she mouthed the words 'if it helps you sleep at night.' Professor Rowen, remarkably, remained as calm as can be, staying indifferent. She continued, raising her voice to be heard over the newly born conversations. "We trust you are attending all your classes, and trying to avoid trouble." She threw a pointed look toward Albus Potter and Fred Weasley, known infamously for their passion for pranking the disliked Headmistress. "Though I see some are trying harder than others."

Laughter echoed off the walls, as all the students nervously chuckled, desperate to avoid Professor Rowen's sharp, knife-like eyes. Beverley edged closer to Neva, as if her best friend could provide some source of comfort for the frightened seventh year. Even after seven years of facing the professor in Transfiguration, the woman – or gorgon, as Fred Weasley claimed her to be – continued to scare the crap out of her. "I apologize for the unscheduled interruption, but may all the students clear the room, with the exception of the sixth and seventh years?" A sly smile appeared on her face, her tightly-pressed lips curling upwards in an almost sadistic smile. Suspicions boiled inside Beverley's stomach, as she narrowed her bright brown eyes at the woman. "I have an announcement."

Murmurs roared through the crowd as the younger students reluctantly rose, some looking furious at being indirectly called "children" and others looking simply confused and intrigued as to why they couldn't stay. _The feeling is mutual,_ thought Beverley, shooting Neva a bewildered glance. However, Neva's expression had hardened as she glared with all her might at Professor Rowen. An uncomfortable feeling brewed in the depths of Bev's stomach; could Neva know something she didn't?

It took a measurable amount of time for the younger students to file out of the room, as all the students seemed to be moving at the pace of a snail the monotonous Monday morning. Neva glowered at her plate as she shifted closer to Beverley, looking as if she'd suddenly lost her appetite. "Impossible," she teased, nudging Neva with her elbow. Though Beverley felt anything but, she slapped a cheerful, optimistic smile on her face, feeling it her duty to make sure Neva was okay. "You don't want to eat?"

Neva glanced at Beverley with thoughtful eyes, a frown on her unamused face as she shook her head in disapproval. She continued to glare at Professor Rowen, who met her glare with an indifferent expression. As soon as everyone had seated, and the murmurs of confusion had quieted, Professor Rowen began speaking.

"I'm sure you are confused as to why I required the younger students leave." She paused, allowing the grunts of agreement to escape from those in crowd, and then continued before others could speak. "A new threat has risen, and the danger of this threat overpowers even Lord Voldermort." Gasps escaped the lips of those paying attention and those who weren't as Professor Rowen uttered the taboo name; even after half a century, the name brought fear of return, stories that had been passed down from generation to generation frightening the seventh-years. Beverley herself stiffened in her seat, her thoughts flitting to Ellie, her younger sister who stood outside. _Could her little soldier be in danger? _

"Nearly a quarter of the Wizarding World has been demolished by the threat, and the possibility of the numbers increasing is high. Many have died, and the population is decreasing drastically. We fear that Wizarding blood will be extinct forever, at this rate." Beverley involuntarily shuddered; she disliked much about Hogwarts, but the thought of losing magic forever was frightening – even to her. An angry red flare appeared on Neva's face, as if she knew of the news to come, and that she knew it would not please.

_Oh sure, just __tease__ me __to death. _

Professor Rowen inhaled deeply, sweeping her gaze across the silent room, staring at each one of the expectant faces with a maliciously sweet smile. "The Ministry has passed a law requiring those sixteen and older to marry others of their kind."

With this announcement, all hell broke loose.

"–We're getting _married?!"_ exclaimed Albus Potter and Fred Weasley in unison, horrified expressions on their handsome faces. The two pranksters had fallen out of their seats when the Professor had announced the news, successfully spilling pumpkin juice on their pants. Beverley resisted an eye-roll; those two kids looked like they'd pissed their pants.

" - I'm seventeen, bitch! Not seventy!" complained a particularly outraged Drake Zabini, his voice aghast as he rose on his seat at the Slytherin table. The other Slytherins embarrassedly – now, that was a sight – tugged at his pant leg as he continued to shout at the Professor. "You're being bloody ridiculous!"

"- Fuck the ministry! We want a democracy!" exclaimed a Muggle-born by the name of Siobhan Fitzgerald. Her fiery-red Irish hair flew behind her as she raised her fist. "_Democracy! Democracy! Democracy!_" she continued to shout, oblivious to the "what-the-hell" looks her peers shot her.

"- I think I'm going to faint," mumbled Rose Weasley, dramatically placing her hand on her forehead as she mimicked her cousins, almost toppling off her chair.

Nevaeh herself began yelling in outrage. "Professor Rowen, you're making a big mistake! If you think I'm willingly going to marry one of these buffoons -" she pointed toward the idiots called Albus Potter and Fred Weasley before continuing - "you're shitting yourself!" Others shouted in agreement, completely forgetting modernism, and tossing their glasses to the floor with an ear deafening _crash._

Beverley glared at her bowl, too timid to follow her best friend's lead. As hell broke loose around her, she fought to stay calm. _She was getting married at seventeen. For the first time in her entire life, she was facing a period in which she was unsure of Ellie's bravery. And, calm and controlled Nevaeh had just yelled in outrage in front of the whole class. _

What had the world come to?

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**A/N: Hello! New story! This one, I love the cover for. I love the characters. I love the ideas... I love EVERYTHING. Updates will be slow! :D Thanks for reading, and PLEASE review review review. I love feedback. I can only get better! **


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